October 24, 2004

As the tirp to Auschwitz took place during the school holidays we are offering you the chance the follow the trip in real time, with daily diaries and photo albums. The trip will begin at 6am (GMT) on Monday 1 November, and coverage will continue through to Friday at midnight. You can read what students and staff felt, see what they saw in this week-long series of highlights. Also, leave your comments every day and the students from the trip will write back to answer your questions.

October 22, 2004

Back safely after an emotional, tiring, but throughly enjoyable trip to Poland and the Czech Republic.

We seemed to cram in much more than was possible in the time we had, especially considering we spent a combined total of 24 hours on the bus (9 hours from Prague to Krakow and back again)!!

The trip to Auschwitz was, without doubt, be the most memorable and emotionally challenging part of the trip. To stand in the gas chamber and witness the crematoria used to murder millions of Jews was a truly haunting experience. One that I, and the students of Musselburgh Grammar, will never forget. On a personal level, I was struck by the sheer size and scale of the two camps we visited (Auschwitz 1 and Auschwitz-Birkenau which was the main extermination camp). This was a genuine "industrial" operation with the sole, grotesque purpose of murdering an entire race of human beings. There are so many images from the trip that will remain with us all, many of them we may never fully comprehend.

Nevertheless, I must draw attention to the exemplary behaviour and attitude displayed by all of our students. Each and every one of you were superb ambassadors, not only for Musselburgh Grammar, but for Scotland and humanity. This is not just a very proud teacher trying to make our school sound great; our students were complimented by our Auschwitz guide as the best behaved group she had ever met, commenting on the dignity and respect you showed during the visit. The fact we received further positive comments on your behaviour later on in Prague just adds further to the great reputation you established for yourselves.

You have taken on a great responsibility to learn about, visit and remember the atrocities committed at Auschwitz. As the survivors of the horror at Auschwitz pass away, they will pass the torch of remembrance onto you so that future generations never forget what happened in that awful place.

Having enjoyed 4 days in your company as a group I have every confidence that you will carry that responsibility with great care for the rest of your lives. It was a privilege to share the experience with you all.

"Those who wish to build a better future, must first consult the past."

October 21, 2004

The Krakow-Auschwitz trip returned home safely to Scotland after a very tiring but successful trip. Thanks to all of you for sending your questions, especially our friends from South Cobb High School in Georgia, USA.

A web diary made by students and teachers during their trip will be published over the next week, together with more photo updates. We'll also answer as many of your questions as possible. Sorry for the delay, but the Polish telephone system threw up some complications!

October 15, 2004

The team had a long day of journeying yesterday (Thursday), starting at 5.20am in Edinburgh Airport and travelling large swathes of Europe by coach to arrive in Poland.

The itinerary today was set to be a trip to Auschwitz itself, followed by a visit to Krakow and a dinner in a local restaurant.

The team have not had time yet to touch base and leave some updates for you, but please keep coming back to the site. They will be able to see your messages this weekend and after today's huge visit it will be of great comfort to them.

More news will follow in the coming days, with a big update on Tuesday and Wednesday 19-20 October.

October 07, 2004

It is quite terrifying thinking about going to a place where so many people lost their lives. However, I think its worth it in order to be able to pay my repects to the innocent victims of the camps.

We first heard about the trip a couple of years ago when we didn't know much about the Holocaust. Some people knew more than others but after we did all this preparation like the drama group and Ernest Levee speaking to us we started to realise how emotional and harrowing this trip will be.

Do you feel that if you were faced in the same predicament as those in the Holocaust, would you have had the strength to survive?

Akia and Johnetta from South Cobb High School

I honestly do not know, having never experienced the kind of humanity these people must have went through. As an individual, I doubt I would have been strong enough either physically or mentally to survive. Besides, I think it would be disrepectful to the millions who died in the concentration and death camps to somehow assume I'd have been able to cope.

I doubt that I would be able to cope although I would consider myself a strong person the things that happened in those camps were clearly more than any human being could take.

only one week to go until the trip! yey!
if any one wants to ask a question about the trip or just about or school or our country then just post a message and i'll get back to you as soon as i can. i hope you enjoy our website and please take a look at the video as i helped create it and think its very good (even if if i do say so myself)

Hi,
We recieved your emails a couple of weeks ago asking about the trip. Thanks for getting in touch with us. Just to tell you that we spend 2 days in Krakow,Poland then travel to Prague,Czech Republic, someone said Germany. Sorry, we must have confused you by saying that we will be visiting a german concentration camp.
One South Cobb pupil said:

Is germany Peaceful? So when the jews were takin to the camp they were taken by freight train right? And is it true that hitler himself visted auswhits an gaseed a group of jews?

Any way, 7 more days! We'll get in touch with you after the trip to tell you about it. If you have anymore questions just ask!

October 05, 2004

Although we still live in a society where race and sexuality is victimised, we are very aware of this and do not allow it to escalate to something as harrowing as the holocaust. we are very grateful of what we have in our everyday lives and we only wish that people can look back on the holocaust as a warning to what pejudice can do rather than looking upon it with hatred. we want to gain an insight to the lives of the people who died and survived the holocaust, though it will be a difficult time for all of us, it will be, by far, the most amazing and memorable experience of our lives.